It is known to provide a fishing light which is removably mounted to a trunnion mount on the gunwale of a boat wherein one bulb is an elongated “fishing light” connected to a rheostat for changing the brightness while the other light is a dual filament spot light. The filaments of these bulbs are mutually exclusive, that is, only one can be used at any given time. For instance, see the U.S. Pat. No. 3,955,078 issued on May 4, 1976 to Eggers, et al.
It is also known to provide a fishing light mounted to a gunwale of a boat by suction cups. For instance, see the U.S. Design Pat. No. 299,550 issued on Jan. 24, 1989 to Duncan M. Payne. A separate shield mounted to the top of the light is now required to keep the light from shining in the face of fisherpersons using this light.
It is further known to provide a lighting strip mounted in the bumper guard for the boat to provide for the ship's directional lighting. The strips require 250 volts AC power normally not available on a fishing boat thus requiring a separate power source. For instance, see U.S. Pat. No. 4,495,401 issued on Feb. 27, 1996 to Graham P. Evans.
William L. Hassler, Jr., in U.S. Pat. No. 4,954,931 issued Sep. 4, 1990 discloses a light source for producing a relatively uniform dispersed light emission along a length of a light bar, the bar comprising a prism made of polycarbonate having one frosted face and having a light emitting diode lighting source in at least one end thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,474,851 discloses at least one ultraviolet light source, at least one white light source, means for separately controlling the ultraviolet light source and the white light source and a mounting base, the mounting base carrying the ultraviolet light source, the white light source and the means for separately controlling wherein the fishing lighting system is integral with a portion of the gunwale of a boat.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,291,852, issued Nov. 6, 2007, and U.S. Pat. No. 7,425,718, issued Sep. 16, 2008, disclose a lighting system for a fishing boat, having a ultraviolet (UV) light source mounted to a mounting base, mounted upon a portion of the gunwale of the boat. The light source having an array of point light sources, spaced apart at intervals from about ½ inch to about two feet and having a narrow viewing angle of between 5 degrees and 45 degrees. The point light sources can include light emitting diodes (LEDs) mounted on the base having an integrated circuit and an electrical power source associated with the base. The mounted light assembly may be mounted on a side of the boat above, below or within the rub rail of the gunwale.
There remains a need to provide a lighting system for a watercraft such as a motorboat or fishing boat which is easily installed or retrofitted into an existing watercraft, and/or which significantly limits or eliminates damaging of the light sources under normal use of the boat, and/or which provides reduced maintenance and repair, and/or which significantly reduces or eliminates the possibility of glare from the light upon the eyes of the boat's occupants, and/or which does not catch or snag upon the fishing lines, and/or which does not require a separate step of mounting when needed, and/or which requires minimal, modification and retrofitting of new and existing watercraft for its installation.